Abstract
Inappropriate tillage practices and nitrogen (N) management have become seriously limitations for maize (Zea mays L.) yield and N use efficiency (NUE) in the North China Plain (NCP). In the current study, we examined the effects of strip deep rotary tillage (ST) combined with controlled-release (CR) urea on maize yield and NUE, and determined the physiological factors involved in yield formation and N accumulation during a 2-year field experiment. Compared with conventional rotary tillage (RT) and no-tillage (NT), ST increased the soil water content and soil mineral N content (Nmin) in the 20-40 cm soil layer due to reduction by 10.5 and 13.7% in the soil bulk density in the 0-40 cm soil layer, respectively. Compared with the values obtained by common urea (CU) fertilization, CR increased the Nmin in the 0-40 cm soil layers by 12.4 and 10.3% at the silking and maturity stage, respectively. As a result, root length and total N accumulation were enhanced under ST and CR urea, which promoted greater leaf area and dry matter (particularly at post-silking), eventually increasing the 1,000-kernel weight of maize. Thus, ST increased the maize yield by 8.3 and 11.0% compared with RT and NT, respectively, whereas CR urea increased maize yield by 8.9% above the values obtained under CU. Because of greater grain yield and N accumulation, ST combined with CR urea improved the NUE substantially. These results show that ST coupled with CR urea is an effective practice to further increase maize yield and NUE by improving soil properties and N supply, so it should be considered for sustainable maize production in the NCP (and other similar areas worldwide).
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
Strip deep rotary tillage increased soil water content relative to rotary tillage and no-tillage.
- Treatment
- STe0
- Outcome
- soil water contente0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- conventional rotary tillage (RT) and no-tillage (NT)e0
Not reportedTaxonOrgan / stageSetting
Verbatim
e0“Compared with conventional rotary tillage (RT) and no-tillage (NT), ST increased the soil water content and soil mineral N content (Nmin) in the 20-40 cm soil layer”
Claim · model-written summary
Strip deep rotary tillage increased soil mineral nitrogen in the 20-40 cm soil layer.
- Treatment
- STe0
- Outcome
- soil mineral N content (Nmin)e0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- 20-40 cm soil layere0
- Comparator
- conventional rotary tillage (RT) and no-tillage (NT)e0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Compared with conventional rotary tillage (RT) and no-tillage (NT), ST increased the soil water content and soil mineral N content (Nmin) in the 20-40 cm soil layer”
Claim · model-written summary
Strip deep rotary tillage reduced soil bulk density by 10.5% relative to rotary tillage.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“ST increased the soil water content and soil mineral N content (Nmin) in the 20-40 cm soil layer due to reduction by 10.5 and 13.7% in the soil bulk density in the 0-40 cm soil layer, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Strip deep rotary tillage reduced soil bulk density by 13.7% relative to no-tillage.
- Treatment
- STe0
- Outcome
- soil bulk densitye0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 13.7%e0
- Qualifier
- 0-40 cm soil layere0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“ST increased the soil water content and soil mineral N content (Nmin) in the 20-40 cm soil layer due to reduction by 10.5 and 13.7% in the soil bulk density in the 0-40 cm soil layer, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Controlled-release urea increased soil mineral nitrogen at silking by 12.4% relative to common urea.
- Treatment
- CRe0
- Outcome
- Nmine0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 12.4e0
- Qualifier
- silkinge0
- Comparator
- common urea (CU) fertilizatione0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Compared with the values obtained by common urea (CU) fertilization, CR increased the Nmin in the 0-40 cm soil layers by 12.4 and 10.3% at the silking and maturity stage, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Controlled-release urea increased soil mineral nitrogen at maturity by 10.3% relative to common urea.
- Treatment
- CRe0
- Outcome
- Nmine0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 10.3%e0
- Qualifier
- maturity stagee0
- Comparator
- common urea (CU) fertilizatione0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Compared with the values obtained by common urea (CU) fertilization, CR increased the Nmin in the 0-40 cm soil layers by 12.4 and 10.3% at the silking and maturity stage, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Strip tillage and controlled-release urea enhanced maize root length and total nitrogen accumulation.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“root length and total N accumulation were enhanced under ST and CR urea”
Claim · model-written summary
Strip tillage and controlled-release urea promoted greater leaf area and dry matter, especially after silking.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“which promoted greater leaf area and dry matter (particularly at post-silking)”
Claim · model-written summary
Strip tillage and controlled-release urea increased maize thousand-kernel weight.
Zea maysNot reportedTreatmentComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“eventually increasing the 1,000-kernel weight of maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Strip deep rotary tillage raised maize yield by 8.3% versus rotary tillage.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“ST increased the maize yield by 8.3 and 11.0% compared with RT and NT, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Strip deep rotary tillage raised maize yield by 11.0% versus no-tillage.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“ST increased the maize yield by 8.3 and 11.0% compared with RT and NT, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Controlled-release urea raised maize yield by 8.9% versus common urea.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“CR urea increased maize yield by 8.9% above the values obtained under CU”
Claim · model-written summary
Strip tillage combined with controlled-release urea improved maize nitrogen use efficiency.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“ST combined with CR urea improved the NUE substantially”
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See all 1,099 papers →8 of 11 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.